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Teacher's Handbook
With 20 years of experience, Intercultura is a growing language center which offers both English and Spanish classes along with a variety of Cultural and Extra-Curricular activities. Our Mission “Learn the language, live the culture.” Intercultura is a language and cultural center devoted to achieving linguistic proficiency in the context of cultural immersion and intercultural education. We seek to cultivate global awareness and cooperation through the sharing of cultures and languages. We believe that participation in our program teaches not only a new language, but also effective tools for communication and understanding in the constantly evolving world culture in which we live. Our Vision Our vision is to provide students with an integral language learning and cultural experience, using the communicative approach in combination with strategic elements of current didactic and pedagogical theory in a total cultural immersion environment, which contextualizes the language acquisition process. In addition, we aim to maintain our role at the forefront of the linguistic and intercultural studies field by creating new programs, expanding facilities, continuing professional development of our staff, and reinvesting in the communities that receive us. Our Commitment to the Community Through a private enterprise, the majority of our profits are reinvested into academic and professional development for our staff, improvement of student facilities, and expansion of our community and cultural activities. A significant portion of our earnings goes to regional causes and social development organizations, and to the endowment of our local student scholarship fund. Intercultura supports several area environmental, social, and development projects, offering logistical assistance, materials, scholarships, and/or monetary donations to non-profit organizations. Dates to Know for 2015 Salary Teachers earn ¢4,965 per teaching hours, ¢2,870 per hour for administrative work (meetings, extracurricular activities, and trainings), and ¢6,000 for off-campus classes. Pay is in colones. Teachers are paid on the 15th and the last day of every month by direct deposit in Banco Nacional.  15th: No timecard is turned in. Teachers are paid a flat amount based on their average teaching hours. This is an estimate for the first half of the month, and the difference is paid on the last day of the month. 15th: No timecard is turned in. Teachers are paid a flat amount based on their average teaching hours. This is an estimate for the first half of the month, and the difference is paid on the last day of the month. * 21 or more hours per week = 40 hours paid; * 15-20 hours per week = 30 hours paid; * 10-14 hours per week = 20 hours paid; * less than 9 hours per week = no pay on the 15th. Last Day of the Month: Teachers fill out timesheets for the entire month (see Sample Timesheet in Appendix) and email them to the director on the following dates: Teacher Benefits Monthly Bonus Teachers who complete their administrative tasks each month are rewarded with a bonus. The administrative tasks are as follows: * Updating attendance and grades every Monday. * Midterm and Final grades (with homework and attendance scores) must be completed no more than 72 after finishing. * Turning in timesheets on time and accurately. Bonuses will be reduced in cases of negligence in completing these tasks. The monthly bonus amount depends on the number of students you have and how many hours they study per week. Every student who studies three hours per week is worth one “cupo”, for six hours per week the student is worth two “cupos”, and with 12 hours per week the student is worth 4 “cupos”. At the end of the month your cupos are calculated and your bonus is paid based on these categories: * 11-20 cupos ¢5,000 * 21-30 cupos = ¢10,000 * 31-40 cupos = ¢15,000 * 41-50 cupos = ¢20,000 * 51-60 cupos = ¢25,000 * 61-70 cupos = ¢30,000 * 70+ cupos = ¢35,000 Teacher of the Month Bonus Each month a teacher is chosen to receive a bonus of ¢5000 due to extra effort, availability, enthusiasm, participation, evaluation score, and general performance. The teacher of the month has the privilege of choosing a student of the month, and both will be published on Facebook. Christmas Bonus All teachers (part and full time) who complete their contracts receive the Costa Rican ‘aguinaldo’ bonus every December, which is calculated by adding the teacher’s accumulated monthly salaries earned between December 1st and Nov 30th each year, and dividing by 12. Teachers leaving in July will receive their aguinaldo earnings up to that point. Visa Run Stipend To live legally in Costa Rica, teachers must exit the country every 90 days for three full days (72 hours) to renew their tourist visa. We aid full-time teachers with visa run expenses by giving them ¢25,000 for the two mid-semester visa runs per year. Spanish Classes Full-time teachers who do not teach in the mornings may receive free Spanish classes from 8:30am-12:30pm. Teachers with morning classes have the option of taking afternoon Spanish classes, 1:30-5:30pm, when they are offered. Teaching English is first priority, so teachers should not take Spanish classes if they interfere with teaching. Those interested in Spanish classes must follow these procedures: * Talk with Marcelo by Thursday of the week before they want to start classes in order to be level tested. * Be at the school by 8:30am Monday morning OR call Marcelo at 8:15am to see if a class is available for their level. * Be dedicated to their Spanish classes and do the homework, setting an example for other students. Part-time Teachers Part-time teachers receive Spanish class benefits based on the number of teaching hours they have per week: * Up to 9 teaching hours/week: 15% discount * 10-17 teaching hours/week have two options: ** Work 10-16 hours (unpaid) per week in exchange for free Spanish classes (20hours/week). ** Receive a 25% discount on Spanish classes. * 18 or more teaching hours/week: Same Spanish benefits as full-time teachers. Free Dance and Cooking Classes, Spanish movie showings/discussions, and Intercambios Teachers may participate in these events held for the Spanish students at the school every week. Bank Account Set-up Intercultura aids in opening an account at Banco Nacional, which facilitates direct deposit. Teachers get a bank card, which can be used in Costa Rica and internationally (if set up that way). Please keep in mind that it takes time to set up the bank account, so teachers will be paid with a check until then. Paid Holidays and Vacations Teachers are paid for the following National Holidays and vacation days: * The school closes for National Holidays when they fall on school days (April 11th, May 1 st, July 25th, Aug. 15th , and Sept. 15th). The school will be open on the holiday on October 12th, but teachers will be paid double for any teaching hours on that day. * Semana Santa: paid holidays (Thursday & Friday), plus four vacation days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday). * Weekend off in June/July: three vacation days paid for returning full-time teachers at the end of June. * Independence Day: one national holiday (Tuesday, Sept. 15th) and two vacation days (Saturday the 12th and Monday the 14 th). * Winter Break: three vacation days (for all teachers) and two National Holidays (for teachers who return in January: Christmas and New Year’s) paid for full-time teachers in December. Mail Teachers can have their mail sent to the school address: Intercultura, c/o Teacher’s Name, Apartado 1952-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.